The effect of pretreatment with different doses of GnRH to synchronize follicular wave on superstimulation of follicular growth in dairy cattle

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH doses in synchronizing follicular wave emergence as a pretreatment for superovulation in cattle. Fourteen Holstein-Friesian cows 6 days from estrus were randomly assigned to receive 100 microg (n=4), 50 microg (n=5), or 25 microg (n=5) of GnRH. Superovulation was induced with injections of porcine FSH (pFSH) twice daily, decreasing the dose (total 42 AU) over 5 days beginning 2.5 days after receiving GnRH. On the 7th and 8th injections of pFSH, 750 microg of PGF(2alpha) was also given. With the exception of one cow that was given 50 microg of GnRH, ovulation was induced in all cows from the three groups and the new follicular wave emergence was observed. The total number of follicles for the 25 microg GnRH group was less than that observed for the 100 microg GnRH group (P<0.05), although there were no differences between the 100 microg, 50 microg and 25 microg GnRH groups with respect to the number of preovulatory follicles (>or=10 mm) and CL. The numbers of normal embryos were greater for the 25 microg GnRH group than the 100 or 50 microg GnRH groups (P<0.01); however, the numbers of ova/embryos did not differ significantly between the three groups. These results suggest that 25 microg of GnRH was sufficient to induce ovulation and follicular wave emergence. On day 6 of the estrous cycle, a reduction of the dose of GnRH to synchronize follicular wave emergence as a pretreatment for superstimulation promotes transferable embryos.     

Sugar expressions on the vaginal epithelium in pregnant mice

Sugar expressions were examined on the epithelium of both the middle portion of the vagina and the vaginal portion of the cervical canal (CC) in pregnant mice to understand the pathogenesis of bacterial infection in the female reproductive organ by using a panel of lectins. As a result, N-acetylglucosamine was positive before pregnant day (P) 7 but negative after P10 and at diestrus on both the vagina and the CC. In addition, some differences in sugar expressions were seen between them. These results suggest that sugar expressions on the mucosal surface would change not only site-specifically but also time-dependently, and these sugar differences indicate the possibility of the alteration of the settled bacterial species on the vaginal mucosa in pregnancy.     

Effect of growth on wood properties for Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi): Differences of annual ring structure between corewood and outerwood

To investigate the relations between growth and the wood properties of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), six sample trees of varied ages and radial growth were felled and the ring width, ring density, percentage of latewood, and some other factors were determined. There were significant differences in ring density and percentage of latewood between sample trees with vigorous growth and those with poor growth. In corewood the ring density decreased with increasing ring width for all sample trees, whereas in outerwood this trend did not appear. Moreover, the latewood width increased with the increment of ring width only in outerwood, whereas there was almost no change in the corewood. The variation in patterns of ring width, ring density, and percentage of latewood in the radial direction and the relation with height was also studied.Part of this report was presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kochi, April 1997     

Tangential and radial shrinkage variation within trees in sugi (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>) cultivars

The transverse shrinkage variation within trees was examined for five sugi cultivars. The within-tree trends of tangential shrinkage (α _T) were different by cultivar, whereas radial shrinkage (α _R) increased from pith to bark in most cultivars. The tangential/radial shrinkage ratio (α _T/α _R) decreased from pith to bark in most cultivars, because the radial variation of α _R was larger than that of α _T. The cultivars showed significant differences among cultivars in α _T, α _R, and α _T/α _R, but the difference among cultivars for α _T/α _R was smaller. The relationships between transverse shrinkage and microfi bril angle (MFA), basic density (BD), tree ring parameters, and modulus of elasticity were examined. The α _T and α _R showed positive relationships with BD, latewood percentage, latewood density, and modulus of elasticity, and negative relationships with MFA and ring width. The relationships with earlywood density were weak. Sugi exhibited variation in transverse shrinkage within stem and among cultivars, with the variation affected by MFA, density, and tree ring parameters. Part of this article was presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Akita, Japan, August 2006, and the 57th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Hiroshima, Japan, August 2007     

Interference with cell-to-cell movement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato mosaic virus</Emphasis> by transient overexpression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis> KELP homologs from different plant species

The KELP protein of Arabidopsis thaliana (AtKELP), which binds to the Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) movement protein in vitro, can interfere with cell-to-cell movement of the virus under transient overexpression conditions. In this study, we constructed expression plasmids encoding a fluorescent protein fused to AtKELP or to its homolog from Brassica, Nicotiana, Solanum, or Oryza species. When expressed transiently, all the AtKELP homologs inhibited the cell-to-cell movement of ToMV with different efficiencies. The results of domain swapping between two selected AtKELP homologs suggest the importance of combination between the N- and C-terminal half regions for high inhibitory function.     

Imaging diagnosis--polioencephalomalacia in a calf.

A 2-month-old mix-breed calf developed acute blindness and ataxia. Serum thiamine concentration was deficient. In antemortem magnetic resonance imaging there were laminar T2-hyperintense regions extending along the cerebral cortex that primarily affected the gray matter. The lesions were relatively symmetric between the left and right hemispheres but no abnormalities were present at the frontal lobes. At necropsy, laminar autofluorescence of the cerebral cortex was observed under ultraviolet exposure at 365 nm, consistent with a diagnosis of polioencephalomalacia. Polioencephalomalacia in the bovine species is compared with that in other species, namely humans, dogs, and cats.     

Killing of feline T-lymphocytes by gamma-rays and energetic carbon ions

High linear energy transfer (LET) heavy charged particles have previously been applied clinically to human cancer radiotherapy because of their excellent physical properties of selective dose distribution and higher relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for human; however, such an approach has yet to be applied to cat patients. The present study investigates the biological effectiveness of low-LET gamma-rays (0.2 keV/micro m) compared to high-LET carbon ions (114 keV/micro m) in feline T- lymphocyte FeT-J cells. Clonogenic survival analysis revealed that the RBE value of carbon ions was 2.98 relative to a 10% survival dose (D(10)) by gamma-rays, and that the inactivation cross-section in cells exposed to gamma-rays and carbon ions was 0.023 and 38.9 micro m(2), respectively. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis revealed that TUNEL-positive frequency in carbon-irradiation cells is higher than for gamma-irradiated cells against exposure to the same physical doses, but that very little difference in TUNEL-positive frequency is observed between cells exposed to the respective D(10) dose of gamma-rays. Our data thus indicate that carbon ions are more effective for cell killing than gamma-rays at the same physical doses, but kill cells to an extent that is comparable to gamma-rays at the same biological doses. Carbon ion radiotherapy is therefore a promising modality for cat patients.     

Diet supplied with L-lysine and L-arginine during chronic stress of high stock density normalizes growth of broilers

The effects of fortifying a diet with L‐lysine HCl (Lys) and L‐arginine (Arg) in broilers housed under conditions of high stock density, were studied in an experiment that measured bodyweight, feed intake, feed conversion, body temperature, serum protein, immune parameters and neutrophils. A diet fortified with Lys and Arg increased bodyweight gain in broilers housed under high stock density conditions, but not in normally housed controls. The diet fortified with Lys and Arg decreased the feed conversion ratio and abdominal fat, as compared to the effects of a control diet, without regard to housing conditions. No effects of amino acid fortification or stock density on body temperature, serum protein or immune parameters were recorded. The results indicate that an increase in the dietary supply of Lys and Arg is beneficial to broilers during stressful conditions of high stock density, potentially contributing to an enhancement of animal welfare in broiler farms.     

Soft X-ray observation of water distribution in the stem ofCryptomeria japonica D. Don I: General description of water distribution

Water distribution in green stems ofCryptomeria japonica D. Don was observed by soft X-ray photography. In the sapwood, much water was present and evenly distributed. In the intermediate wood (the white zone), little water was present. The intermediate wood appeared in all cross sections of the stem and separated the heartwood from the sapwood in the intertracheid water connection. Maldistribution of water was generally observed in the heartwood, and three types of water presence were distinguishable: a “wet area” with accumulated water, a “dry area” with little water, and a “moderate moisture area” with intermediate accumulation. The distribution pattern and amount of water in the heartwood varied dramatically among and even within trees. Separation of the heartwood from the sapwood in the intertracheid water connection suggested that the presence of water in the heartwood was caused by rewetting of the tracheid lamina that occurred after heartwood formation. The maldistribution of water in the heartwood suggested that a difference in the process of rewetting causes both uneven distribution and the various types of water presence.     

Expression of a tumor-associated antigen, RCAS1, in canine mammary tumors

Receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1), one of novel cancer cell-surface antigens, is strongly expressed in invasive cancers. RCAS1 inhibits the in vitro growth of lymphocytes such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, and induces apoptotic cell death. We investigated the expression of RCAS1 in canine mammary tumor cell lines and tumor cells by immunohistochemistry, and also in situ deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. All canine mammary tumor cell lines expressed RCAS1 at both the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein level. Immunohistochemically, RCAS1 was negative in 100% of normal mammary glands, but was expressed in 100% of malignant tumors examined. In most malignant mammary tumors, RCAS1 was localized in the cytoplasm with no polarity of expression. In benign mammary tumors, it was detected on the luminal surface of the tumor cell. RCAS1 expression or localization was significantly correlated with malignancy. In situ DNA fragmentation of CD3-positive TILs was observed in RCAS1-expressing tumors. RCAS1-expressing tumors, indicating a possible induction of apoptotic cell death in TILs through RCAS1 expression. These observations suggest that RCAS1 probably plays an important role in tumor progression and escape from immune surveillance in canine mammary tumors.